Electromagnetic surface waves guided by the planar interface of isotropic chiral materials

The propagation of electromagnetic surface waves guided by the planar interface of two isotropic chiral materials, namely materials $calA$ and $calB$, was investigated by numerically solving the associated canonical boundary-value problem. Isotropic chiral material $calB$ was modeled as a homogenized composite material, arising from the homogenization of an isotropic chiral component material and an isotropic achiral, nonmagnetic, component material characterized by the relative permittivity $eps_a^calB$. Changes in the nature of the surface waves were explored as the volume fraction $f_a^calB$ of the achiral component material varied. Surface waves are supported only for certain ranges of $f_a^calB$; within these ranges only one surface wave, characterized by its relative wavenumber $q$, is supported at each value of $f_a^calB$. For $mbox{Re} lec eps_a^calB ric > 0 $, as $left| mbox{Im} lec eps_a^calB ric right|$ increases surface waves are supported for larger ranges of $f_a^calB$ and $left| mbox{Im} lec q ric right|$ for these surface waves increases. For $mbox{Re} lec eps_a^calB ric < 0 $, as $ mbox{Im} lec eps_a^calB ric $ increases the ranges of $f_a^calB$ that support surface-wave propagation are almost unchanged but $ mbox{Im} lec q ric $ for these surface waves decreases. The surface waves supported when $mbox{Re} lec eps_a^calB ric < 0 $ may be regarded as akin to surface-plasmon-polariton waves, but those supported for when $mbox{Re} lec eps_a^calB ric > 0 $ may not.